Before man by dams and bridges conquered the might of the Red River, this potent boundary line between Texas and Oklahoma was a powerful force in the destinies of towns and their pioneer builders. In its rich valley lay the nucleus for great cities and large fortunes. It took a strong breed of people and communities to withstand nature's onslaughts-the sort of people about whom legends are bound to spring. Herein, gathered and recounted are stories of early Denison, Sherman, Paris, Bonham, Clarksville, Caddo Lake, and other Red River Valley places and people. These tales of northeast Texas, fraught with both beauty and danger, are indeed stranger and more entertaining than fiction.